Cyberattack Affects Pharmacies Across the United States
Client Alert Applies To: Fully Insured, Self-Funded, Small Groups, and Large Groups
Change Healthcare, a health tech subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group that provides billing and claim processing services, experienced a cyberattack on February 21, 2024. In particular, Change Healthcare’s billing services are used by many pharmacies. This cyberattack has led to widespread outages in claim processing at pharmacies and other healthcare facilities throughout the United States, as such facilities have been unable to fulfill or process and bill prescriptions through the patient’s healthcare plan.
Full details on the cause and extent of the cyberattack are not yet available. As many consumers have already been notified by their pharmacy or healthcare provider, the cyberattack may result in delays for patients attempting to fill prescriptions. Many pharmacy providers and chains have instituted workarounds to ensure patients receive the medication they need.
This attack is another reminder of the dependence of our healthcare system on technology, and the dangers of hackers and cyberattacks.
